The Central Government has notified the rules under all four major labour codes — the Code on Wages, 2019, Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Code on Social Security, 2020 and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — paving the way for the implementation of India’s new consolidated labour law regime. The notifications were published in the Gazette of India on May 8, 2026.
The new framework replaces and consolidates several decades-old labour laws relating to wages, industrial disputes, social security, occupational safety, contract labour, inter-State migrant workers, maternity benefits, provident fund, employee insurance and bonus payments.
Under the Wage Code Rules, 2026, the Centre has introduced provisions relating to minimum wage calculations, periodic revision of dearness allowance, weekly rest days, overtime, digital wage administration and electronic maintenance of records. The Rules also formalise classifications of workers into highly skilled, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled categories.
The Industrial Relations Rules, 2026 lay down procedures governing industrial disputes, settlements, conciliation, functioning of works committees, trade union participation and employer-worker negotiations. The Rules also provide detailed mechanisms for written settlements, recognition procedures and dispute resolution processes.
The Social Security Rules, 2026 consolidate frameworks relating to provident fund, employee state insurance, gratuity, maternity benefits, building and construction workers’ welfare, gig and unorganised workers, and career centres. The Rules also emphasise electronic registration, digital compliance and social security portability.
Meanwhile, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026 introduce a unified registration framework for establishments and prescribe standards concerning workplace safety, health checks, appointment letters, accident reporting, contract labour regulation and working conditions across sectors including mines, construction, factories and dock work.
The newly notified rules collectively repeal or subsume a large number of existing labour regulations, including the Minimum Wages Rules, Contract Labour Rules, Industrial Disputes Rules, Maternity Benefit Rules, Employees’ Compensation Rules and several sector-specific safety and welfare regulations.
Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026
Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026
Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026ere
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026